It is an annual meeting eagerly awaited by high school students in the middle of the Parcoursup period. The magazine l’Étudiant revealed this Wednesday, May 27, its ranking of the best student cities in France, in a 21st edition which evaluates 50 cities welcoming at least 7,500 students, according to ten criteria ranging from employment to the quality of air, through housing, culture and, new this year, accessibility for people with disabilities.
Toulouse in the lead for the 2nd consecutive year
Toulouse retains its first place in the ranking for the second year in a row, with a score of 78 points out of 103. The pink city impresses with its performance in employment, transport and culture, but also with the quality of its local initiatives in favor of students. It is ahead of Rennes (77.5 points) and Montpellier (74.5 points).
The Great West is gaining momentum: Rennes (2nd), Caen (4th), Nantes (5th), Brest (6th) and Angers (8th) occupy five places in the top 10, a first in the history of the ranking. These metropolises combine dynamic job markets, expanding cultural offerings and an attractive quality of life well beyond their usual recruitment areas.
Paris only ranks 19th. Despite the best cultural offer in the list – maximum score of 10/10 – and unparalleled attractiveness, the capital remains heavily penalized by the cost of housing, where it obtains the lowest score of all the cities evaluated.
Montpellier champion in transport
The Hérault metropolis confirms its place on the national podium with 74.5 points, and stands out particularly on the transport criterion, where it obtains the maximum score: 11 out of 11. This is the second year in a row that Montpellier has established itself as leading city in France on this criterion, thanks to its completely free transport network for the inhabitants of the metropolis.
The detail of the Montpellier scores reveals other strong points: a maximum training score (10/10), shared only with Rennes, Angers, Poitiers and a few others; a very good score on employment (also 10/10); and solid attractiveness (8/10). Disability accessibility (1.5/2) and health (4.5/5) complete the picture.
The city, however, obtains a zero score on air quality (0/5), an indicator recalculated this year according to the recommendations of ATMO France, and remains behind on culture (4/10) and local initiatives (4.5/10).
